As La Crosse's Oktoberfest gets underway, we look back on how it all started — and Brad Quarberg reveals the festival wasn't actually a secret ploy for G. Heileman Brewery to sell beer. 

In fact, the brewery once ran the numbers on how much beer fest-goers actually drank, and how long it took to brew — and Quarberg’s reveal of those the results will shock you.

It’s our annual Oktoberfest preview with 2016 Maple Leaf Parade Marshal, Quarberg, and 2013 Festmaster Dave Ring in studio to break down the five biggest myths about the fest.

Plus, a look back at the year milk was served instead of beer, when the medallion was held ransom, and how Ring managed to ruin the 10-day schedule.

From how the Royal Family brightens up local nursing homes with an accordion player to the hilarious story of an eight-foot golden brat getting dropped in a parking lot, the duo shared why this community tradition remains so special after 65 years.

Episode Highlights:

• Sealed Fest Secrets: Ring jokes about the "sealed documents" and good-natured shenanigans from the year Oktoberfest made the jump from 10 days down to four.
• 100-Pound Brat Heist: The hilarious true story of how a massive eight-foot golden brat was "heisted" in 2017 right before its official slicing ceremony — and how the five-second rule saved the day.
• The 5 Big Fest Myths: Quarberg tackles the most common misconceptions locals still hold about Oktoberfest, from who actually qualifies for the Royal Family to what counts as an official event.
• Ransom in the Park: A look back at the 1991 medallion hunt where masked "Heistermeisters" held the medallion ransom for charity using magazine-cutout notes—and kept their identities a secret for 20 years.
• Spreading the Joy: We don't actually build accordion players in a lab, but the Royal Family still takes live polka into local schools and nursing homes for a full week after Sunday.
• Miss La Crosse Oktoberfest: How the selection evolved from a 1960s "trad-wife" contest into a modern program for community leadership. 

Milk over Beer: Why Oktoberfest banned beer and replaced it with milk on year.

• 10 Days to 4: We joke how the fest cut to four days after Ring’s reign — but also why it happened.